Steering reach-rod.



C. GREENE.

STEERING REACH ROD.

APPLICATION man um. 25, 1911.

Patented July 9,1918.

PET onto.

CLIFFORD GREENE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI BALL CRANK COMPANY, OF OAKLEY, CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STEERING REACH-BOD.

netaoss.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1%19.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cmrrono Gannxn, a. citizen of the United States, and residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and Stateof Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steering Beachltods, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

My invention relates ,to steering reach rods or drag links and particularly to forming the rod from a. continuous length of tubing with one or both of its ends swaged or expanded to enlarge its diameter and provide a socket and seat for a ball and crank arm.

It has been customary to form the links of different sized tubing welded or otherwisesecured to form the large diameter socket and a seat at the ends of the link.

Such forms of manufacture are unduly expensive and weaken the device at the connecting joints, requiring special inspection. Welded joints in some instances are made so that they can be inspected from the exterior.

An object of the invention is to make the link form a continuous or integral length of tubing by swaging or expanding its ends to enlarge its diameter and iuteriorly at the juncture oi" the two diameters to form a shoulder adapted to serve as a seat for a spring or socket block.

This eliminates any joints which require inspection, lessens the cost of manufacture and produces a stronger link without any increase in weight of metal.

Various other features of my invention will be more fully revealed in the description of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this invention, and lILSllCl). drawings like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which:

Figure l is a plan view of an end portionof a steering reach rod or drag link illustrating the ball end of a. crank supported within the enlarged end of the link.

ig. 2 is a. partial vertical section of the part shown in Fig. 1, with the portions thereof shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the link with both 'of the ends expanded to a larger diameter than the intermediate portion.

Fig. 4 is a modified form of rod in which the enlarged and of the tubing is compressed be confined to'the device as an article of manufacture.

'It comprises a length of tubing of a particular diameter necessary for a given size of link, in' which the intermediate portion, 1, of the link represents the normal diameter of-the tubing and of a smaller diameter than the ends, Expanding the end of the tube provides an outwardly bent portion, 3, as the juncture of the smaller and larger diameters of the tube. This outwardly bent portion provides a shoulder which serves as a seat for either a spring or socket block. In {the drawing it is shown as providing a seat for a socket block, t, being one type of reach rod construction.

This socket block is engaged by the ball end. 5, of the crank arm, 6. A bearing block. 7, engages the opposite side of the ball, and fits Within the enlarged end portion of the tube. This bearing block is pro vidcd axially with a boss extension, 8, projecting into the coil of a spring, 9, housed within the enlarged end of the link. The spring is retained or confined within such enlarged end and under compression by a screw plug, 10, screw threaded into the end of the tube.

This plug is slotted to receive a cotter pin, 11, which engages through the tubing as a lock for the screw plug.

The construction of the ball or universal joint for the crank is ofa well known type, and represents one of the commercial forms with a single spring. In some instances a spring engages the rear socket block. 4:, and under such arrangements the spring would seat against the shoulder, formed by expanding the walls of the tubing from the smaller to a larger diameter.

The enlarged end of the tube is notched 0r apcrtured to provide an opening, 12, through which the crank, 6, projects. The process of expanding the tubing is a very simple and quick one and can be accomplished without injury to the tubing. The shoulder serves to reinforce the tubing at 1m integmi piece cf such pcim; and provides a, reach red ivi'iich has no Welded 1? connected oints to be mspected from. boch the interior or the exteilicr of the cubing.

length is nnmaterial the normal thickness of the tube is sufiicient to Withstand a slight reduction when enlarge-d withcut weakening the tube at the enlarged end, and sufficient thickness for threading.

For some sizes cf reach rods, a thin tubing will be of suificient strength, but which when expended Wculci not pi'cvidc a sufiicicnt wall thickness for threading. In sum insiaances, the wall thickness is increased by ccmpressing the end of the tube i011gitudina-iiy.-

The normal thickness of the tube walls 2L1} its ends is faherefo-re increased for R required. tensile strength or greater than ,the interis also of mediate 01451011, enabling the manufacture of a drag link 0f reduced weight.

Having described myinven.ticn,I'c1aim:-- 1. A steering connection. consisting of tubing" having a swag -ti diameter portions the tubing fer prcviciE ing seat at the inner and. cf the socket, saiei e111 ged end having its metal thickness increased to the normal metai thickness 0."? the iwu'bin c 52. stcei'ing'rcd connection consisting of minteg'rei piece of tubing having a waged end enlarging its diameter at providing a socket, and fonning an a-imuier shoulder portion as a juncture fcr the tWc (iifiei nt dizunc zex' portions of the tubing f0! providing; a seat an: the inner end of the emerged end a thicknesscf metal equal in 01- thickness of the tubing.

En fiiZIlGSSfWhfilfiGi I hereunte subscribe my came, as etiested 33y the twc subscribing Witnesses,

QLIFFORD GREENE. f i itcesses 2 A. 332cc sccket, said.

greatec'iham the normal metal 

